My experience with www.TopSpec-imports.com (bad) :(

[bamboo rocket]

My experience with www.TopSpec-imports.com - This is a long write up – the short story is I can’t recommend them.

I email with them a few times and told them what I wanted a Toyota Supra Twin Turbo (year, miles, modifications) and what my demands for the car was – was told that it would not be a problem to find a car with the budget I had. So therefore in December 2007 I paid 500£ in auction deposit to TopSpec. In the next 4 months we looked at many cars mostly at auctions but also cars for sale at dealers in both Japan and England. Each time I was interested in a car Topspec had theirs team of mechanics and inspectors to view the car and send me a detailed description on good and bad points to each car so I could decide how much to bid when on auction or if it was a good buy when it was for sale at a dealer.
It wasn’t so easy to find a car that was, as I wanted – so we look for almost 4 months. Finally I found one for sale at a dealer in Japan – Global Auto. TopSpec had bought cars from them before and said that they were known for good quality cars. And their recommendations were to buy this car. So we did.

A few months later the car arrived in UK. And I flew from Denmark to UK to pick up the car. Meet with the owner of TopSpec in the airport and the car was mine. And I drove home – on the long way home I noticed several mistakes to the car that never were mention to me before.

Mistakes:
The front bumper was broken (Top Secret front - original) – a piece of it was broken off – and it was cracked many places. Looked like the car had been towed in the original tow eye and that the rope had destroyed the bumper.

The door cards. The car is from 1996 so scratches are to be expected – but there were big holes in both sides (1-2 cm in diameter).

The gear panel: all the mounting pins for the gear panel were broken so it was very loose

There are several mistakes to the paint around the car – some of the mistakes look like they have been tried to get respray– but they don't look good.

All these mistakes were never mentioned to me – and If they had inspected the car in Japan they would have noticed them.

The price to repair the front bumper: Had to offers from to different bodyshops here in Denmark (I know they are expensive – but that is everything here in Denmark)
Offer 1:With a brand new bumper (Bumper 520£) paint and fitting totally price roughly 900 £
Offer 2: Where they repair the bumper that I have plus paint price roughly 650£

New gearbox surround (facelift) was 120 £ from Nic with Danish import tax
The inside door cards retrim will be a proximally 200 £

Prices to repair the car 970 £ to 1220 £ and that’s without repair cost to the mistakes to the paint.

I picked up the car in the middle of august 2008 and now almost 5 months later – and several email later they only offer me 425£ at first they would not admit they have made any mistakes – but now they have admitted that they haven’t had anyone to inspect the car in Japan – they have just trusted the information they got from Global Auto - even though they state on their website:

Topspec imports will not purchase any vehicle without having one of our team of mechanics to inspect the vehicles first.

I did not expect a brand new car – but a detail description of the car so I had the opportunity to estimate if the price for the car was right.

For me the whole idea in having help from an import company was that they could inspect the car for me.

This is my warning to others – don’t use Topspec-imports.com they don’t live up to what they promise.

Peter
Denmark

[craig]

I'll add to this, I bought an MR2 GTS from Topspec imports, I told him what I wanted and I had emailed car data sheets/pictures etc.

I found the car I want, bought it and it was mine. I was told about a scrape on the sideskirt and got £150 knocked off which was fair enough. Also had the Gauges/boost control removed in Japan and EMS shipped over which I was grateful for.

Eventually after a few months my car docked as Southampton and I got on the train to meet the guy from Topspec. Turns out the stereo that was in the car (non standard) had been stolen and I was left with the dash hanging off and a hole where the stereo used to be.

The door on the drivers side needed a new door due to a dent that had ruined the curves.

Both front wings were dented and the original Sard bumper had chunks missing off it and was cracked along the bottom.

The car also had a custom paint job on it that I wasn't told about. I was told it was rev 3 red, but it had glitter in the paint so I had the entire car resprayed.

To add to this also, the rear suspension was not fitted properly and was banging about, my mechanic said it could have thrown me into the nearest hedge! I aksed what the banging was to Topspec and they said it was the performance uprated clutch.

They also fitted standard springs to the car, removing my APexi springs without asking because "it was too low with the front profile tyres" I told them that I wanted my springs and managed to return home with my Apexi springs in the boot.

All in all, I would not recommend Topspec either. I even had a solicitor send them a letter of complaint and didn't get anywhere.

In summary:

2 wings repaired
New drivers door required
New stereo
Full respray
Repair front bumper
Re fit new springs
Fix banging suspension

[Charged]

Re both of the above posts.. whilst I am not making excuses the obvious reasons for paint damage, bumper damage, dents etc is probably due to the shipping of the car over from Japan.. they really do pack them in tight so the goods were probably damaged in transit and after they were purchased by yourselves...

[bamboo rocket]

To RedMR²

Sad to hear that you also have been cheated by them – is it okay with you that I copy you story to my tread on mkivsupra.net – need to spread the word?

To Ollie@SkyInsurance
I found my car I Japan – and from the pictures/description the car was in perfect condition – Then you naturally expect the car to be in this condition when you pick it up – even if the car is damaged in transport – then the Import company have to repair it so it once again is as first described.

[slipping clutch]

That has really put me off importing a car - I was thinking in the future, when hopefully the exchange rates improve, of getting an evo 5 or 6.
I am not sure how all this importing thing works so would obviously have to go to an "expert" such as the company mentioned. My question is this though- if you appoint an agent/company to buy the car and ship it and do the paperwork etc. surely they have a responsability if it is damaged in shipping? Okay I know things get damaged in shipping and its all packed in tight etc. etc. BUT if they have been paid to appoint a shipping company and to get the car here they must be responsible to see that car arrives in the condition origionally described.

[tonigmr2]

This depends I think, whether you are buying a vehicle off a company, or you bought a vehicle and used them as an agent. If the latter, in reality I don't see why you would hold the agent responsible for damage in transit.

/disclaimer as I don't know the ins and outs of the above.

But personally I would no longer import a vehicle, unless it was very special. There are always good bargains on these shores with more history, and each and every time I've imported a car I've always had one surprise or another which I didn't bargain for.